Flu Season? Nauseous? These Home Remedies from Grandma Might Work!

Have you ever gotten sick while you were staying with your grandparents? Maybe your granddad said to “toughen up”? Or your grandma cooked up some special handed-down concoction to cure all your ailments? Maybe some of them helped and others were literally a bitter pill to swallow?

Home remedies: we all know one. A recipe about which your grandma says “it’s more effective than all this shelved pharmaceutical nonsense full of chemicals”. Most of the time prepared with ingredients straight from Mother Nature.

The lack of pills, medications, and prescriptions called forth the inner witch in people and home remedies ranging from obviously simple to strangely bizarre were brewed. Some of these home remedies are still floating around and Anjou wants to do its part to help not let them go extinct. So here we go: 4 home remedies for fever, nausea, coughing, and sore throat.

Fever

Let’s dive right into it with a weird one: the vinegar sock! No, this is not some code name for an elaborate recipe. It’s literally a sock drenched in a water-vinegar mix that is then worn on your feet to reduce an increased body temperature.

Recipe: Heat up some water and mix in 2 tablespoons of vinegar (we recommend unpasteurized, cider vinegar). Soak a pair of cotton or wool socks in the water-vinegar mix. Wring them out a bit but keep them nice and wet to put on. Cover feet with towels, plastic bags or another, dry pair of socks.

Leave the socks on for about 15 minutes and then check the fever again. If the temperature is still raised, put on a new pair of freshly soaked socks. If the patient gets cold hands or even starts shivering, remove the socks.

Please only use this recipe in cases of low to medium fevers. In case of a very high fever or even shivering, this home remedy is not appropriate and medical help should be sought immediately.

Nausea

This one is the easiest one from our little list of home remedies. In case you happen to feel nauseous your answer is peppermint essential oil.

Recipe: Pat or rub some drops of peppermint essential oil on the back of your neck or onto the soles of your feet. Depending on how intense you like the scent of the peppermint to be, use a carrier oil to dilute the drops a little bit.

Why it works: the peppermint plant extracts are known to relieve muscle spasms, also in the stomach and abdomen area. Furthermore, the upbeat scent clears your mind, leading to a refreshed feeling and head.

Essentials oils are notoriously known for being an alternative medicine staple. This makes this simple home remedy especially safe and we also recommend this method for pregnant ladies who suffer from morning sickness and constant nausea.

Coughing

Onions are known for their health and immune system beneficial properties. So it does not come as a surprise that our grandmas made use of that special vegetable by putting it in their home remedies. This is an easy one:

Recipe: thinly slice an onion. Put the first slice down in a bowl and spread some honey on it. Then, put the next slice of onion on top of it. Basically, rebuild the onion lasagna style, with honey between the layers. Let it sit overnight and the next day collect the syrup which has gathered at the bottom.

A shortcut to this recipe would be to just blend together a quarter of an onion and honey and then drink it.

Why it works: onions are an often used ingredient in home remedies. They work as an expectorant, meaning they relieve phlegm and mucous from your nose, throat, and chest. Its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties act as detox elements and reduce pain, caused by consistent coughing. Also, the honey has an anti-inflammatory effect and supports the hard work of the onion. The honey also takes away the potent taste and smell of the onion.

Sore Throat & Cold

This is another one of the home remedies that seems a bit more complicated and elaborate: the potato compress. It is supposed to treat a sore throat and cold. Not only does it provide a cozy warmth around your neck, it is also effective in reducing pain and discomfort.

Recipe: Cook one big potato until soft. Mash it up with a fork into pieces but be careful to not completely mush it – medium chunks are perfect. Wrap the potato pieces into a comfortable cotton fabric. Put the wrap around your neck while the potato pieces are still warm.

Why it works: potatoes have an astringent and anti-inflammatory effect. Basically, they pull out the bacteria from your sore throat and calm down the inflammation. Additionally, warmth always feels good on your throat and neck during a cold.

Conclusion

What do you think of these home remedies? Interested in trying them out? Or does your grandma have a special recipe of her own? Let us know on Facebook or in the comment section below, we would love to hear it!